Suspension refresh

[Greg_D]

I have had my trusty volvo V70 for years now and have grown very fond of the old boat.

i have got to the point of either spending more on the car than it is economically worth or chopping it in for a new(er) one. I have decided to spend the money because i can't think of another car that will fulfil my family smoker duties any better.

That said, i don't want to just waste money unnecessarily - i have noted a decline in the ride quality over the last couple of years and am unsure if it is down to the worsening state of the local roads or a decline in the car's dampers (be aware that i live down a very bumpy drive so the suspension takes a beating due to all the potholes)

Will replacing the existing (not leaking) suspension with new OE dampers be a worthwhile treat or would it be a waste of money?

My own technical understanding of what a damper is (a rod pushing fluid through holes that controls a spring) would suggest that unless they are clearly leaking or damaged then there is little point in replacing them, yet you hear of cars benefiting greatly from their replacement, is this placebo or are there components in there that can wear leading to a degradation in performance (the car has done 98k)

has anyone performed a suspension refresh? what were your experiences?

[BlueMR2]

The bushes in wishbones etc will wear as well, not just dampers and springs.

[Greg_D]

BlueMR2 said:

The bushes in wishbones etc will wear as well, not just dampers and springs.

i've already replaced the ARB drop links (several times) and lower wishbones complete as part of general maintenance and for the elimination of knocks - there is currently nothing obviously wrong with the suspension, i would just like it to ride better than it currently is over bumps/ridges in the road (it thumps a bit atm)

[belleair302]

I have just replaced everything possible on a 106K 13 year old Lexus LS 400 which is part of the family. Yes it has ben expensive, well over £2,000 in parts alone but well worth it and the car now drives like new and will keep going for another 150K. Why scrap a decent car when with a little care and some wise spending you can keep it alive?

[vrsmxtb]

I read somewhere on the internet (so it must be true) that dampers lose 1% of their efficiency every 1000 miles. So using that yours are 98% inefficient and need replacing immediately. Another 2% and it's game over!!

[Ozzie Osmond]

belleair302 said:

I have just replaced everything possible on a 106K 13 year old Lexus LS 400 which is part of the family. Yes it has ben expensive, well over £2,000 in parts alone but well worth it and the car now drives like new and will keep going for another 150K. Why scrap a decent car when with a little care and some wise spending you can keep it alive?

I agree. Although you have to remember the ever-present risk of a major failure (auto box etc) which can suddenly kill a car you just spent big money fettling.

One of my older cars cost me £500 in tyres and £1,500 in fettling last year but I took the view spending £2,000 on a £1,000 car wasn't too crazy if it gave a hopeful life expectancy of another 2 years. Happily that car passed its MOT today without problems so I'm on target at the half way point.

£1,000 a year on a nice car for depreciation and repairs combined is cheap motoring in my book!

[sparks_E39]

Had a lot of suspension work 3 years ago which sharpened things up considerably and I am having both front shock absorbers replaced tommorow. Really looking forward to getting into it this weekend and seeing the difference. 1999 E39 528 by the way.